ND's Falls finally feeling fine

Offseason surgery on ailing foot offers senior guard relief

Offseason surgery on ailing foot offers senior guard relief

November 04, 2006|TOM NOIE Tribune Staff Writer

Offering a mother's unconditional support, Ann Falls tried one night last January to lift her son's sagging spirit. Notre Dame guard Colin Falls had just logged a career-high 47 minutes in a home game against Georgetown. His mother talked up how he had scored 18 points, which included a game-high five 3-pointers, in a double-overtime loss. Falls, whose left foot ached from the plantar fasciitis that again had flared, wasn't having any of it. "I was like, 'Mom, I felt like I was walking around out there,'" Falls said earlier this week. "I was in slow motion." The pain would subside in the coming weeks. Falls tied the school record for 3-pointers in a game with eight in a big road win against Seton Hall. As post-season neared, additional aches caused more concern. Falls practiced and played for some stretches the last two years held together by what coach Mike Brey insisted was little more than "tape and heat." This summer, Falls underwent laser surgery to curb the plantar fasciitis. He took seven weeks off and insisted last month during media day that it felt like he had a whole new foot. It showed Wednesday during the team's first exhibition. Falls moved freely from the minute he stepped on the floor until he went to the bench with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal late in a game the Irish would win by 35 points. Falls looked a step quicker. He guarded on defense, and often ran through several screens to get open on offense. He also rotated over and took a charge late in the second half of a game long decided. Rather than having to go for treatment afterward, the career 82.9 percent free-throw shooter poked fun at himself for missing a pair of tosses. "I just feel 100 times better," he said. "The last two years, it was game-to-game how I felt. I still have (pain) here and there, but it's completely different. "I just feel like I'm moving better." "I think his mind is clearer because he feels better," Brey said. Falls has increased his numbers for games started, minutes played, field-goal attempts, 3-point attempts, rebounds, assists, blocks, points and scoring average each of his first three years. He now looks to expand his game for his senior season, which he enters 73 points shy of becoming the 45th player in school history to score at least 1,000 for his career. On Wednesday, Falls made good on a promise to become more than just a jump-shooter by ball-faking defenders into the air before driving the lane. "I've got to get better at that," he said. Other Irish may jump higher or run faster than Falls, but Brey insists there has been no player during his seven seasons in South Bend with a better basketball mind than the native of Park Ridge, Ill. There were times Wednesday where Falls called defensive sets and out-of-bounds plays on the floor. During his days off, he may stop by the basketball offices to watch tape. "He really has a feel for it," Brey said. "He's important to have out there from that standpoint. "He's going to play a lot of minutes." A proud night Even on the eve of his team's exhibition opener earlier this week, Brey took time out to watch former Irish point guard Chris Quinn make his NBA debut with the Miami Heat. Quinn, who was the first player Brey recruited to play for Notre Dame, is a backup with the defending champions. He checked into Tuesday's game against the Chicago Bulls early in the first quarter before finishing with two points and three assists in 14 minutes. "That made my month," Brey said. "I really felt good for him. Good things happen to good people." If Quinn remains on the roster until early January, his league minimum salary of $412,748 will be guaranteed. His place wasn't secure until the final day of training camp. Late last month, while traveling to New York for Big East media day, Brey left his former point guard a brief message, telling him only 'Good luck." An hour later, during a lay-over in Detroit, Brey decided he had to say something stronger. "I called him again and said, 'Look, you're an NBA player -- you just go for it,'" Brey said. Brey and Quinn still talk on a regular basis. The two chatted Thursday as Quinn offered a brief summary of the team's exhibition game after watching on the Internet. "He's excited about our team," Brey said. Exhibition evolution Notre Dame may juggle its preseason approach in coming years to where it would play only one exhibition against a Division II team, then scrimmage against a Division I squad. Brey likes what fellow Big East member Marquette did last weekend. The Golden Eagles chartered a plane to Manhattan, Kan., where they held a three-hour workout with Kansas State. The session included a full scrimmage complete with officials. Under NCAA guidelines, Division I teams can scrimmage another in preseason as long as the workouts are not publicized or open to spectators. Also, no score can be kept. The Irish may hop on a charter bus in the future and scrimmage a nearby Division I team from the Big 10 (Illinois? Northwestern?) or the Atlantic 10 (Dayton?). "We would consider that," Brey said. "I can see us going on the road, maybe not next year." Crean indicated in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel this week that his team's trip was such a success that he's considering doing away with exhibition games entirely. Brey believes it's important for Notre Dame to continue playing at least one Division II Catholic school. "It means so much to them," he said. Notre Dame likely will continue to use its annual fall break in October for a trip to Indianapolis. Last month, the Irish traveled to the Circle City where they stayed in a hotel for two nights and practiced at Conseco Fieldhouse. "We need to use that week more like that," Brey said. Baseline bits

Some 85 former players are expected on campus this weekend for a Notre Dame basketball reunion. The former Irish will watch practice today and attend the North Carolina football game before an on-campus reception later this evening.

The Irish open regular-season play Friday with a home game against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. It's the earliest date in program history that Notre Dame has started. It also opens a stretch of three games in five days.

Former Notre Dame standout LaPhonso Ellis makes his debut as the team's radio color analyst Monday in the final exhibition game against Bellarmine (Ky.) University.